Traditionally angels get harps and demons get accordions, but then the devil gets all the good tunes. Whatever both instruments have a place in folk music, but it's on the latter that Kepa has earnt his reputation. I think Kepa is the first Basque to play Cambridge, opening up yet another string of world music to the appreciative folk fans that frequent the festival.

Born in Bilbao in 1965. Kepa’s first contact with music came via his aitite (maternal grandfather) who at village dances accompanied Kepa’s mother on tambourine when she started out as dance partner to the famous Txilibrin.

From a very early age Kepa showed such a great interest in the diatonic accordion that on the basis of his own self-taught experience he evolved a new learning method and developed a very personal style. His first dream came true when the great Basque group Oskorri took an interest in the young lad with the lightning fingers on the ‘triki’ buttons. This musical friendship which was born in 1983 continues today and Kepa has played on all the group’s recordings and on myriad tours.

As with all legendary ‘trikitilaris’ (diatonic accordionists) his fingers got plenty of work at local dances in the village squares. His early compositions caused controversy and showed that something was changing in the world of ‘trikitixa’ or ‘bellows from hell’.

In 1990 with two albums behind him he presented a new musical project in Madrid combining trikitixa and jazz, which won him the Young Contemporary Folk Musician Prize. His international career took off with the Trans-Europe Diatonique trio project alongside John Kirkpatrick and Riccardo Tesi which opened the eyes of critics, musicians and programmers all over Europe not only to a virtuoso accordionist, but also to one of the most ancient Western cultures through one of its best exponents.

If there is anything that typifies Kepa it is his capacity to submerge himself in different projects with boundless energy. This has made it possible for him to record a new album backed by some of the most renowned Basque musicians while at the same time working with world-famous stars like The Chiefains, Julio Pereira, Carlos Nuñez, Dulce Pontes and Andreas Vollenwaider.

As he was finishing his joint album with Ibon Koteron on the alboka, Leonen Orroak, he was also finalising the details for the presentation of one of his greatest challenges: uniting trikitixa and classical music. After a long, complicated voyage through uncharted musical waters Kepa and The Bilbao Symphony Orchestra together performed a new setting of pieces composed by him over a ten-year period. Yet another great wager by a brave restless creator.

December 19, 1997 will always be special to Kepa for it was then that the packed Congress Hall in Madrid witnessed what would become his new work, an exercise in universality, fusion and blending, a journey through his music backed by a large number of friends which was the prologue to his most important work to date: Bilbao 00:00h.

Bilbao00:00h. brought him artistic recognition after over fifteen years in the music business, being termed the best European world music album by the specialist press and allowing him to conquer the hearts of numberless fans, journalists and the general public.

After its presentation in Bilbao in May 1998 there followed performances at the most prestigious international festivals, on the most important stages and in the greatest theatres, in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, San Sebastain, Seville, Vigo, London, Seattle, Palermo, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Zurich, Lisbon and Oporto, and more recently in Hamburg, Cologne, Bonn and Brussels.

Kepa live is an inexhaustible source of colour and rhythm, adding to the nuances of his music enthusiasm, honesty, genius, versatility and passion. His band is a high-precision machine with over a hundred performances behind them and are considered the best current live act.

Kepa Junkera’s band is made up of:

Angel Unzu: mandolin, guitars

Julio Andrade : double bass, cuatro, maracas

Harkaitz Martinez and Igor Otxoa :txalaparta

Blas Fernandez : drums

Kepa Junkera : trikitixas

Their concerts are a constant renewal of material already released by Kepa under his own name or in his many collaborations with other artists, and of unreleased and new material. A musical tour which takes us through Kepa´s past and future.